Old Irish goat centre in Mayo relaunched

The Old Irish Goat Centre was relaunched with a reimagined interpretation and retail offerings last Friday. A visit to the Old Irish Goat Centre offers the opportunity to look into the eyes of Ireland’s ancient past! The new interpretation at the Old Irish Goat Centre takes visitors on a journey to unearth and rediscover their forgotten living heritage. It tells the Old Irish Goat’s unlikely story of survival, and how, surprisingly, it fell to a small community to save it from extinction!

Fine Gael TD Michael Ring congratulated all involved in the initiative and complemented Fáilte Ireland and the Heritage Council for supporting the endeavour.  He also complimented the community on their efforts to conserve their heritage and support tourism, these being vital to county Mayo. 

Padrig Browne, Chairman of the Old Irish Goat Society, thanked Ring for his continuous support for the Old Irish Goat. Browne also thanked Fáilte Ireland for their strategic guidance through mentorship and Digital that Delivers programmes, and the Heritage Council for funding interactive multimedia interpretation. The Centre team and volunteers who researched and developed the interpretive content were thanked for devoting endless hours to the cause. A heartfelt gratitude was expressed for the daily care of the Centre and the goats.

Fionnán Nestor, Failte Ireland, welcomed the development, as an action of the Clew Bay Destination Experience Development Plan. The Old Irish Goat Centre provided an immersive and memorable experience for visitors and was also particularly important as a rainy-day experience.

The Old Irish Goat’s provenance permeates our cultural heritage, art, music and native language. Its historic value is indelibly linked into the tapestry of Irish place names that stretch throughout this island. The Centre provides a unique opportunity to explore this previously obscure cultural legacy, through personal engagement with local guides, a privileged private audience with Old Irish Goats, and the incredible capacities of Old Irish Goats on our interactive exhibits. The new interpretation illuminates visitors' interest and excitement to learn more about our long co-existence with the Old Irish Goat.  

The Old Irish Goat Centre is open seven days per week from 10 am to 4 pm.